Obesity is Widespread

Obesity is Widespread

Dieters live life in the fasting lane.

I’m going to jump feet-first into the low fat vs. low carb diet controversy and let you know what I discovered. The first fact was mind-blowing. Did you know that the United States has become obesogenic?

Obesogenic – that’s a relatively new five-dollar word that means characterized by an environment that promotes increased intake of food, most of it not healthy, accompanied by physical inactivity. In other words, obesity is really widespread.

Yes, it’s true. In America as well as other developed countries, we live in an increasingly obesogenic – I love that word – environment with plentiful fast food outlets and constant bombardment on TV, radio, newspapers and magazines enticing us to eat more and larger portions of ready-to-go prepared foods chock full of fats and sugar. Obesogenic refers to foods more likely to cause obesity and to round out your vocabulary, the opposite is leptogenic as in leptogenic drugs that aid in weight reduction.

Fried Oreos and Fried Winkies

So, just how fat are we?

The CDC - Center for Disease Control and Prevention – provided statistics illustrating that in 2007-2008 the prevalence of obesity was 32.2% among male adults and 35.5% among female adults. That’s a lot of avoirdupois – the French know how to make “fat” sound pretty. Watch this video and see the U.S. statistics for yourself.

United States Obesity Statistics by States

I belong to the couple above.

Here is another scary fact I learned. A new study shows that obesity now poses as great a threat to our quality of life as smoking. Researchers at Columbia University and The City College of New York analyzed 1993-2008 data that included interviews with more than 3.5 million adults. The results showed that the quality-adjusted life years lost to obesity are equal to, or greater than those lost because of smoking. During that same period the number of adult smokers decreased 18.5 % and the proportion of obese Americans increased 85 %. Seems to be a correlation there, doesn't it?

Finding and staying on an appropriate diet plan is more important than ever. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular diet plans available today:

The Low Fat Ornish Diet

Dean Michael Ornish,M.D. (July 16, 1953) is president and founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Ornish is well known in the medical community because of his success in reversing blockages to the heart, once thought impossible without surgery or drugs. He is the author of Eat More, Weigh Less.

The Ornish diet, low in fat and high in fiber, provides you with lists of foods you may “eat freely” all of the time; foods you may “eat moderately” some of the time, and “banned” foods none of the time. If you observe these instructions, you can eat all you want without counting calories or portion sizes.

The following foods can be eaten whenever you are hungry, until you are full: beans and legumes; fruits – anything from apples to watermelon, from raspberries to pineapple; grains; and all types of vegetables.

These foods should be eaten in moderation: nonfat dairy products -- skim milk, nonfat yogurt, nonfat cheeses, nonfat sour cream, and egg whites; nonfat or very low-fat commercially available products --from Life Choice frozen dinners to Haagen-Dazs frozen yogurt bars and Entenmann's fat-free desserts. Caution: if sugar is among the first few ingredients listed on the package, return it to the shelf.

These foods should be avoided: meat of all kinds – red and white; fish and fowl (if you simply can't give up meat, then eat as little as possible);oils and oil-containing products, such as margarine and most salad dressings;avocados; olives; nuts and seeds; sugar and sugar derivatives – honey, molasses, corn syrup and high-fructose syrup; alcohol. And anything commercially prepared that has more than two grams of fat per serving

That's it. If you stick to this plan, you will meet Ornish's recommendation of less than 10% of your calories from fat, without the need to count fat grams or calories. Ornish suggests eating a lot of little meals because this diet makes you feel hungry more often.

In his book he states, “I’d love to be able to tell people that bacon and eggs are health foods, but they’re not.”

Ornish's regimen is more than mere diet. He insists that dieters incorporate at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, or an hour three times a week, and include some kind of stress- management technique such as meditation, massage or yoga.

I’ve found from personal experience that the very first thing you lose on a diet is your sense of humor.

Not Low Fat. Not Low Carb. The South Beach Diet

Arthur Agatston, M.D. is a physician and cardiologist who is the director of the Non-Invasive Cardiac Lab at Mount Sinai Medical Center aand Miami Heart Institute in Miami Beach, Florida, and the director of Beach Preventive Cardiology. He is the author of The South Beach Diet: The Delicious Doctor Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss.

The South Beach Diet is one of the newest in a series of diet plans but it is not low fat. Nor is it low carb. The principles of the South Beach Diet are not new, they are tried and tested. This diet teaches you to rely on the right carbohydrates and the right fats - the good ones. As a result, you can lose weight, lower your cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and eliminate cravings without feeling hungry. Some call it the “updated version of the Atkins diet.”

This diet appears to be scientifically based and is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein, and doesn't omit any major food groups. Agatston says that after two weeks, most participants in the South Beach Diet are 8 to 14 pounds lighter. He notes the weight loss does not happen because participants eat less, but rather because eliminating simple carbohydrates has broken a bad eating cycle. As a result, people continue to lose weight after the initial two-week period.

Phase 1 - the strictest phase of the diet, lasts 14 days. During this phase, you eat normal-sized helpings of lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish. Vegetables are also allowed, as are nuts, cheese, and eggs. The goal is to eat three balanced meals a day, and to eat enough so that you don’t feel hungry all the time.

Phase 2 - a more liberal phase, lasts until you reach your weight loss goal. This second phase is similar to the first, but you introduce some of the banned foods from all the dietary food groups. You can start eating high-fiber carbohydrates, such as whole-grain breads, which raise your insulin levels in a much milder way that do simple, starchy carbohydrates. Additional diet foods to enjoy include most fruits, fat-free or 1 percent milk, other low-fat dairy foods, whole grain starches, barley, pinto beans and red wine.

Phase 3 - Weight Maintenance, is an even more liberal version of the initial diet plan and lasts the rest of your life. It should be used to maintain your healthy weight. Agatston describes this phase as a “way of life.” Should your weight begin to climb, you repeat the diet plan.

I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond. -Mae West

Mediterranean Sea viewed from the coast of Turkey

The Low Fat Low Carb Mediterranean Diet

There is no one "Mediterranean" diet. Sixteen different countries border the Mediterranean Sea. Diets vary between these countries and also between regions within a country. Many differences in culture, ethnicity, religion, economy and agriculture result in different diets. But the common Mediterranean dietary pattern has these characteristics:

high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds

olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source

dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten

eggs are consumed up to four times a week

wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts.

People who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet. More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). Monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does. The incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States. Death rates are lower, too. In fact, a 2007 study conducted in the United States found that both men and women who consumed a Mediterranean diet lowered their risk of death from both heart disease and cancer.

Are you a smart shopper? Then adopting a Mediterranean diet is easy. Read food labels to see what you're really buying and putting into your body. Choose plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, limit your intake of red meat, and eat fish at least once a week. Avoid fish that's fried or laden with butter or heavy sauces. Use healthy fats, such as olive oil and canola oil, when cooking – but only in moderation because of their high calorie content. Consider nuts as a snack or an addition to a salad. Finally, reduce or eliminate saturated fat and trans fats (also known as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils) from your diet.

> Use butter sparingly. "Low fat" or "cholesterol-free" on the label doesn't mean a product is necessarily good for you. Some of these items are made with trans fats.

> Eat a variety of whole fruits and vegetables every day. Try to ultimately eat 7 to 10 servings a day. Keep baby carrots, apples and bananas on hand for quick, satisfying snacks. Fruit salads are a great way to eat a variety of healthy as well as tasty fruit.

> Use canola or olive oil in cooking. Try olive oil for salad dressing and as a healthy replacement for butter or margarine. After cooking pasta, add a touch of olive oil, some garlic and green onions for flavoring. Dip your bread in flavored olive oil like they serve you in Italian restaurants.Or spread olive oil lightly on whole-grain bread for a tasty alternative to butter.

> Season your meals with herbs and spices – not salt.

> Substitute fish and poultry for red meat and the other white meat (pork). Avoid sausage, bacon and other high-fat meats.

> If it's OK with your doctor, have a glass of red wine at dinner with your pasta or fish. If you don't drink alcohol, you don't need to start. Drinking purple grape juice may be a healthy alternative to wine. Wine or not, with its delicious and healthy choices, the Mediterranean diet might become your favorite diet plan.

Have you ever thought about this? The United States is the country that has more food to eat than any other country in the world, and more diets to keep us from eating it.

Low carb diet beats low fat

Robert C. Atkins, M.D.

The Low Carb Atkins Diet

Robert Coleman Atkins, M.D. (October 17, 1930 – April 17, 2003) was a physician and cardiologist best known for creating the "Atkins Diet" – a popular but controversial way of dieting that emphasizes protein and fat intake, including saturated fat; close control of carbohydrate consumption in addition to leafy vegetables; and dietary supplements. He authored Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution – the Low Carb Approach.

The Atkins Diet, low in carbs and high in protein, turns your body into a fat-burning machine. Eating the right foods can improve your body’s metabolism - the process that converts food into either energy or building blocks. When you eat fewer carb foods, mostly vegetables rich in fiber, your body switches to burning fat instead of carbs as its primary fuel source.

When you digest carb foods, they convert to glucose or sugar which your bloodstream carries throughout your body. A rise in blood glucose level triggers the release of the hormone, insulin, which moderates your glucose level. So carb intake is largely responsible for blood sugar fluctuations. The food need not taste sweet – think mashed potatoes or white bread – but it converts rapidly to glucose.

Your body can store no more than a half-day’s energy supply of glucose although we can store limitless amounts of fat. So it makes sense to burn as much carbohydrate as we can as soon as it’s digested and absorbed. After each carb-heavy meal or snack, your body stops burning off fat as your insulin level escalates to deal with the rising tide of blood sugar. Fat calories are always more likely to be stored. That’s why insulin is called the “fat hormone.” As long as you keep making glucose into fat, you are going to continue to be heavy.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you change the balance of carbs, fats and protein in your diet, you boost your energy level keeping it on an even keel. When you eat foods composed primarily of protein, fat and fiber, your body produces far less insulin. And when the carbs you do eat are in the form of high-fiber whole foods, which convert to glucose relatively slowly, your blood sugar level holds steady, along with your energy level. You don’t crave a fast-fix energy booster like Snickers or Doritos. And you’re less hungry at meals.

This normal process of burning primarily fat for energy has a welcome side effect: weight loss.Just to be clear, eating fats doesn’t make you fat as long as your body continues to burn them. Place the blame where it belongs: overeating the wrong kinds of carbohydrates.

In the first phase of the Atkins Diet, you can eat ham and bacon and eggs and steak. Wow! Atkins is my man. You eliminate most carbs except for leafy vegetables. After the first two weeks, you may introduce a few carbohydrates into your diet. This diet lets you add the carbs until you stop losing weight – that way you know your limit so you may continue to lose weight.

Benefits of the Atkins Diet: you can eat a lot of protein and fat and still lose weight, and you will lose weight quickly. Potential drawbacks: initial weight loss may be fast but not always sustainable; the ketosis-inducing diet may strain the kidneys; your saturated fat intake may be too high; restricting potatoes, corn, bread, fruits, vegetables and sugar for as long as it takes to lose weight, may not be a user-friendly diet plan for you.

The biggest seller is cookbooks and the second is diet books – how not to eat what you've just learned how to cook. -Andy Rooney

Counting Calories

Summary

Here’s the best answer to the diet riddle I have found. For years we have been trying to figure out if it's the fat or if it’s the carbs. In reality, it's the calories. It does not matter where the calories come from -- carbs, fat, protein alcohol. it's the calorie balance. it's not a single food group or a single nutrient that's causing your weight gain – it’s the amount of calories! The fact remains - if you eat more calories than you burn up, you gain weight!

To sum up what this often contradicting diet plan information can agree on, here are rules you can follow whether on low fat, low carb, low fat and low carb, or none of the above:

> Avoid the simple carbohydrates that cause a rapid rise and fall in your insulin level. Think pasta, potatoes, produicts made from refined flour and rice.

Which diet plan would you choose if you were starting a diet?

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Comments

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drbj and sherry 2 years agofrom south Florida

Nice to meet you, Kevin. You are right on target with your comment regarding obesity. Some folks wait much too long to address that problem. Thanks for the thumbs up.

Author

drbj and sherry 2 years agofrom south Florida

Hi, Liz. I agree completely. Diet becomes a negative four-letter word when one thinks of going on one. How much more positive to just focus on changing the way you eat and counting all calories you ingest.

So happy for you that milkshakes and ice cream are foods you can enjoy. And what a coincidence that you ended your comment with one of my dad's favorite admonitions: 'All things in moderation.' So true! Thanks for the visit and the Up pluses, m'dear.

Kevin W 2 years agofrom Texas

This is an epidemic that people need to take more serious and not wait until their weight is out of control, develop a disease or something tragic occurs to start addressing it. Thumbs up on your hub drbj.

Liz Elias 2 years agofrom Oakley, CA

Wow--there are so many, many diet plans out there. I have been aware of, or at least heard of all of the ones you featured here for many years, but I've never been one for diets. Who was it that said, "diet is a four-letter word?" LOL

Seriously, I've always been fairly active, and have not had a weight problem despite a fairly incurable sweet tooth. I've been a vegetarian (not vegan) since the 1980's, so the banishment of meat is not an issue for me. Though asking me to give up my cheese, ice cream and milkshakes? Umm..you might have battle on your hands.

My son-in-law is a yo-yo dieter. We can't seem to get through his head the concept of "you don't go on diets; you simply change the way you eat for the rest of your life."

Growing up with French heritage, you're not going to take my occasional glass of wine away from me, either. You are 100% correct in saying that diets don't matter; calories vs. activity does. But, as another saying goes, "Don't count your calories; make your calories count."

All things in moderation, and you should be good to go.

Voted up +++

Author

drbj and sherry 2 years agofrom south Florida

Not only as good as GOLD now, Paula, but better than PLATINUM!!! Trust me!

Paula 2 years agofrom Beautiful Upstate New York

I don't buy the prepared frozen dinners.....In fact, I've not ever seen them in our grocery stores. There are the "Lean Cuisine" and also the Weight Watchers frozen dinners.....but I prefer to just make my meals from fresh foods. I stick with all proteins, veggies, salads...and some nuts. I also make the chocolate mousse recipe from the South Beach Diet. If I deny myself dessert completely, I become discouraged.....

I watch portions too, although Atkins claims you don't have to do that where the proteins are concerned. But I have been known to go over board so I have to be strict with myself.

Thanks for the declaration that "YOU HAVE SPOKEN"......I'm as good as GOLD now!......Peace, Paula

Author

drbj and sherry 2 years agofrom south Florida

Hi, dear Paula. Happy you found this 'oldie but goodie.' It has long been one of my favorites. However did you find it, m'dear? I know you will have no trouble taking off weight and sticking to the Atkins diet. Just be sure to count calories along the way. There are many Atkins frozen dinners available these days - many more than when the good doctor wrote his book.

I know exactly what you mean when you write about the never ending battle. Ain't that the truth? But you WILL succeed in losing weight. I have spoken!

Paula 2 years agofrom Beautiful Upstate New York

Funny.....or maybe not funny, I have come across this oldie but goodie.

I just decided it's time to move Dr. Atkins into my home for a month or so. I've been "enjoying" the summer Bar-b-ques* a bit too much. Jeans only shrink so much....the rest is "Mama" ...Reminds me of coming home with an 8 lb. newborn.....and 25 extra lbs of Mommy...Oops!

I'm vigilant about taking it OFF immediately. The next month I'll be spending with Doc Atkins and my wonderful elliptical, in the comforts of my own home. GUARANTEED 15 lb loss in 30 days.....the healthy way!......

Then come the Holidays! Arghhhh...a never ending battle.

Author

drbj and sherry 2 years agofrom south Florida

My original thought for the title was 'Obesity is Worldwide.' Then it came to me in a flash! It is really widespread. Thanks for noticing.

Author

drbj and sherry 2 years agofrom south Florida

Hi, maggs. It seems you may have found a very reasonable physician. Counting calories - your own, of course - is still one of the best ways to lose weight. And as you pointed out, it certainly is a method that helps to view the food you eat in an entirely different way. Stay motivated and good luck!

nicomp really 2 years agofrom Ohio, USA

I just got the title. Well played.

maggs224 2 years agofrom Sunny Spain

I found this hub very interresting and informative. This year I have been put on a diet by the Dr. it is a 1500 calories a day diet.

I have decided to treat the 1500 cals as if it were money. I can eat what I like but I have to pay for it out of this budget.

It is working for me, because I can treat myself to foods I really like but I have to pay the calories out of my budget for that day. It has certainly made me aware of the high cost of some of the treats I like lol....

Author

drbj and sherry 4 years agofrom south Florida

That, nicomp, is why Coolville is so . . . cool!

Author

drbj and sherry 4 years agofrom south Florida

Thank you, Peg, for visiting. I knew you would appreciate my views on obesity so similar to yours. Thanks for the awesome, m'dear.

nicomp really 4 years agofrom Ohio, USA

Coolville does not have this problem.

Peg Cole 4 years agofrom Dallas, Texas

I'm glad I found this hub, Drbj. Thanks for the nudge. These pictures are a reminder for each of us of the consequences of excess. It is a struggle for anyone to maintain a proper diet with the portions served in restaurants and the availability of so many kinds of snack food. But the seriousness of the issue has become huge these days. And the consequences are deadly. You are so right: Obesity is Widespread.

Awesome information here.

Author

drbj and sherry 4 years agofrom south Florida

Nice to meet you, Aykianink. You are so right. Most of us eat, on a regular basis, most of the foods that should be avoided. But fish is good for you - especially the kind with good fats like salmon and tuna.

Thanks for stopping by to sample this diet information.

Author

drbj and sherry 4 years agofrom south Florida

Thank you for loving the title, nicomp. BTW, whatever happened to your engrossing series on Coolville?

Author

drbj and sherry 4 years agofrom south Florida

And regarding your question about that fabulously overweight female in the first image and her pendulous appendage, I refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incriminate me. But you ARE extraordinarily perceptive.

Author

drbj and sherry 4 years agofrom south Florida

Hi, Paula, delighted you enjoyed the fruits (and vegetables) of my research on diet pogroms ... oops, programs! I have read estimates that up to $350 billion is spent annually on diets, supplements and diet food.

Why, as you put it, is food winning? Perhaps because eating fattening foods has become an emotional satisfaction for too many folks. Thank you for the visit and the UP++, m'luv.

aykianink 4 years ago

"These foods should be avoided..." OHHH. I know that list! That's the stuff I eat all the time! Hahaha.

On a more serious note though, I'm shocked that 'fish' is on that list. Diets, like exercise research, have so much information pulling in different directions. I've heard of Atkins and South Beach and whatnot, but have never really read up on them. Good hub.

nicomp really 4 years agofrom Ohio, USA

I love the title. Obesity is indeed wide-spread.

Paula 4 years agofrom Beautiful Upstate New York

Hold it!! I just noticed something that made me nauseous. Seriously, Doc......That lovely female in the picture....Can that really be her BELLY flab, hanging down below her hem??!! OMG....I actually have sympathy for her. How in the HELL does that happen? IMO....the only way one can get so completely out of control to such a grotesque degree, is to eat 20 out of 24 hrs, per day, every day.....and not move further than from the couch to the fridge. HUH?

Paula 4 years agofrom Beautiful Upstate New York

It's clear you put an enormous amount of work into this, Doc. Excellent info and description of the various leading diet programs. What a mass fortune spent on the Weight Loss Syndrome. I'm not up on the statistics, but more money has to be spent annually on Diet-related products than on food! It has to. So, why food is winning is a mystery! ...UP++

nicomp really 5 years agofrom Ohio, USA

I fold like a cheap towel.

Author

drbj and sherry 5 years agofrom south Florida

OK, nicomp, but I need to know is that fold as in origami? or fold as in packing clothing? or fold as in poker? or fold as in a place to keep sheep? Just wonderin'.

nicomp really 5 years agofrom Ohio, USA

Oh, my. I fold.

Author

drbj and sherry 5 years agofrom south Florida

Touche! nicomp. Would you agree that diet doctors are living off the fat of the land?

nicomp really 5 years agofrom Ohio, USA

@drbj: obesity is bursting out everywhere... your move.

Author

drbj and sherry 5 years agofrom south Florida

You are so right, nicomp, thanks for making the connection. BTW, obesity is worldWIDE, too.

nicomp really 5 years agofrom Ohio, USA

I think obesity is always widespread, by definition.

Author

drbj and sherry 6 years agofrom south Florida

You are spot on, I.P.A. There is nothing more important than our health. And you are entirely welcome.

Investment portfolio Analysis 6 years ago

Your hub is a great reminder of what is important.

Many thanks.

Author

drbj and sherry 6 years agofrom south Florida

Hello, Spinal Doctor, it's a pleasure to meet you and thank you for the congrats, the visit and the lovely comment. With your medical background, you might also be interested in my hub, "MSG and Fat Rats and Us."

Spinal Doctor 6 years ago

Very well-researched and nicely done. Congrats on your win.

Author

drbj and sherry 6 years agofrom south Florida

You could be right, Debbie. Sometimes people who complain about not losing weight while on a diet, are those who also refrain from any exercise more taxing than pointing the TV remote.

I don't have any sympathy for those fat folks at the beginning of my hub, but I do feel sorry for the cat. He may have cut down his 9 lives to only 8 now.

Thanks for stopping by - it's always a treat to see you.

debbiesdailyviews 6 years ago

Very interesting, and infomational. I never diet .

I think personally, its lazyness that's the problem, and not so much the eating .

Anyone who eats, and sit's is on a hiding to nothing but the images of your photo's.

Author

drbj and sherry 6 years agofrom south Florida

Wonderful to see you here again, Audrey, and delighted to learn that the Mediterranean diet works for you, and that your general health has hugely improved. I don't know what your photo looked like before, but the after is gorgeous! So it must be working.

My pleasure, no thanks necessary. And give that cutie dog another hug.

Audrey Hunt 6 years agofrom Nashville Tn.

Hi again! Just had to come back and read this magnificent hub again. I have had wonderful results with the mediterranean diet. Lost a few pounds and am at my ideal weight - but most of all I have seen a huge improvement in my general health. Thanks so much! :)

Author

drbj and sherry 6 years agofrom south Florida

susie, m'luv, welcome! That's a funny remark and so apropos. When we hear the D-word, all our fight or flight impulses come to the forefront - just like when we hear profanity. So much of the time, we ignore it.

"Diet doctors" have long suggested that we eat only when we are hungry as you stated. But as social animals, most of us find that too difficult to do - especially when feeding families. If everyone else is eating at six o'clock, then we tend to eat at that time, too. Hungry or not.

Your comments about chocolate are universal. Buying that chocolate bar and knowing we have it stashed away somewhere is very comforting - even when we don't eat it immediately. Yes, comforting but not as comforting as the actual ingestion. Can you tell I'm a chocoholic?

Thank you for visiting and the superlative comments. It's my pleasure.

Sweetsusieg 6 years agofrom Michigan

I really hate the D-word... it contains 4 letters and is like swearing.. Yep, I don't like it.

I finally figured it out about 15 yeas ago. Threw out the D-word, lose it forget it, never say it again. I got to thinking about animals (in the wild, not our dogs) and they only eat when they are hungry. They don't have a clock they look at to determine when it's time to eat. I lost 50 pounds. I have kept off 30 of it. For the last 12 years I fluctuate a bit here and there at the most 5 lbs. Yep, I am still over weight, but not uncomfortably so, like I was.

If I get to feeling 'fat' I just don't eat until I'm hungry again... I'm not sure if it's the proper way to do it, but so far I haven't seen any ill effects from it.

I do know from other family members the Atkins diet made my Dad's cholesterol go down (strange how it works that way with all the fat he eats) and my hubby went on it and his need for Prilosec went away, no more acid reflux.

I guess it's all about moderation. Oh and the reason I gave up the D-word? Because every now and then I like chocolate... If I'm on a 'D' I can't EVER have it and that makes me want it more. But if I allow myself to have some every now and then... I'm ok with it, I may even buy a candy bar because I 'think' I want it, then forget to eat it... Does that make sense? LOL It made sense as I was writing it and now I'm not sure..

Great Hub and VERY well researched!! Thanks!

Author

drbj and sherry 6 years agofrom south Florida

Hi, Audrey, so happy you found this hub. I knew you would agree with the dangers of obesity. And you are so right, it takes more than just diet to stay fit. You must exercise, too. An exercise ball is a great idea - thanks for mentioning it.

Delighted you found those photos as funny as I did. Thank you for the visit and the "marvelous, magnificent and well-written" comments. Come back any time.

Audrey Hunt 6 years agofrom Nashville Tn.

Right on! You covered a topic that is a national health danger and killer. For me, loading up on veggies and a few fruits keeps me full and fine. And, listen up people...you have to move. Exercise burns fat and calories and oh my gosh, your heart needs it. If you hate exercise, invest in an exercise ball, sit on it and bounce! Just bounce and have fun while getting your heart rate up. Ok. A marvelous hub. Like the two first photos - they cracked me up! Thanks for a magnificent and very well written hub.

Author

drbj and sherry 6 years agofrom south Florida

Hi, debbie - at last I have reached the pinnacle - I produced a titter. (I love that word - it's so much more meaningful than just plain giggle).

Thank you for your literate comments; it is my honor to post on your hubs. You might like to cast a glance and enjoy another titter at my hub: "Popular Proverbs Interpreted" and let me know what you think. :)

debbiesdailyviews 6 years ago

Congrats my friend a well deserved win.

I love reading your Hubs. You make me titter

If you eat it you wear it... usualy around the middle.

wasn't it proved that Mr Atkin, died never eating his own diet?

Could be wrong, but I don't think so.

Answers on a post card please.

Thanx for your comments on my page too. I feel honoured .

Author

drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Hi, ladyjane, yes - it is embarrassing to live in the "fattest city" - you just have to ration your intake of that delicious Mexican food.

I've found the best way to maintain your weight whatever diet you choose is to stop eating when you are no longer hungry. If you wait until you "feel full," then you have eaten too much.

That's what I preach but not necessarily what I follow 24/7. Cheers backatcha.

Author

drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Thank you, Entourage_007, for your visit and very kind comments. The pleasure is all mine.

If you don't go crazy when you see chocolate chip cookies but use restraint, then take a look at my hub on "Chocolate Chip Cookies - Seven Scrumptious Recipes." :)

Author

drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

I won't criticize you, Joseph, because like you, I believe active living is extremely important if you are referring to exercise. Diet alone is often not enough.

But healthy eating is also important when you want to lose or maintain your weight. Thank you for visiting and taking the time to leave a comment. You might also want to check out my hub on "MSG and Fat Rats and Us."

ladyjane1 7 years agofrom Texas

Lots of great info here and how embarrassing my city Corpus Christi Texas was named the fattest city in the U.S ugghhh a few weeks back. I think its because of all the great Mexican food restaurants here, not a very good diet but great tasting food. Thanks for all the info. Cheers.

Stuart 7 years agofrom Santa Barbara, CA

Amazing Hub, Lots of great information, and very well rounded!! Thank you

Joesph Ropers 7 years ago

I think that I will be critized by many people, but I think that the best ''diet'' is active livinng. If you are active person, you don't need to worry about eating issues.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Hi, Amber, how very nice to meet you. Thank you for the very gracious comments and the up rating. And for loving my sense of humor. That makes two of us.

Amber Allen 7 years ago

Hi drjb

This is a really excellent and well researched hub. I loved your use of humor. Rated up!

Amber:)

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Why thank you, katie. Good health back at you.

You are a smart woman to practice healthy eating habits and not many people can say they are at the same weight as they were at 12.

Although I can say I am at the same weight as I was at 12 - that's 12 noon today! :)

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

If they have been reading your cooking hubs, making your recipes and eating the subsequent results, then it's your fault, habee. I think even the kitty cat ate some.

katiem2 7 years agofrom I'm outta here

WOW people just eat to much and do to little, I was taught food combining as a child, we always practiced it and I weigh what I way since I was 12 years old. I'm also a vegetarian... Love this ALL important hub. Hea everyone knock out foods packed with chemicals, fats and sugar and you'll be way better off. Fantastic hub, gonna share and book mark this is a keeper must shower the world with often. Much Heath to YOU! :)

Holle Abee 7 years agofrom Georgia

I think the people in your pics have been readingmy cooking hubs!

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Thank you, Supers49, Now two of us share that opinion.

As you can tell, I've never been accused of humility.

Supers49 7 years ago

Great hub! I enjoy all your hub pages! You are so clever!

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

My pleasure, Earthbeat. Happy to remind you. A good diet is only half of the equation for losing weight. The other half requires physical exercise on a regular basis.

I told my grandmother when she was 65 about the benefits of walking a mile every day. You may well ask, "Did it help her?" And I would have to respond, "We don't know. She's 70 now and we don't where the h*** she is!:

Gotcha! April Fool.

Earthbeat 7 years ago

Hey, great hub! And right you are - obesity is getting to be a wider problem.

Look at me - I am getting wider and wider every day. And I know better. I used to run. I feel healthier when I am light. I have more energy.

Unfortunately, I follow the see-food diet - I see food and I eat it. So I try to keep food out of sight, and follow the idea of Dr Ornish that it is better to eat lots of fruit.

But spring is here - the sun is out and the temps are high now, so I am doing more walking, will ease into running, and am gently cutting back on the food.

Your hub is a great reminder of what is important.

Many thanks.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Money Glitch - your name could be a commentary on the state of today's U.S. economy. Great choice.

Thanks for the visit and the kind words and the congrats. I've got my fingers crossed concerning the win ... making it extremely difficult to type this comment.

Money Glitch 7 years agofrom Texas

Catchy title and good information on the diet plans that you choose to review. Thanks for sharing and congrats on your daily win and for being selected as a contender in the 2nd week's best hub contest. :)

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Welcome, Deborah.

Glad you liked the title - I'm fond of it myself.

Weighty information, eh? I'm now giving you a title - queen of the Punsters.

Thanks for stopping by.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Hi, Sage. Thanks for visiting and the very positive comments.

I have always found that one of the easiest ways to learn and/or assimilate information is when it is transmitted painlessly. And for me, humor seems to accomplish that objective.

It's not just he who laughs last ... it's he who laughs ... lasts!

Deborah Demander 7 years agofrom First Wyoming, then THE WORLD

Witty title. And weighty information. Thanks for a well written and informative hub.

Sage Williams 7 years ago

A very well written hub with a twist of humor as well. You held my interest from start to finish and had me laughing in between.

You covered all the diets and to my surprise I have found that I tried them all. But today I am back to the basics and that is just calorie counting, eating smaller portions and lots of fruits, vegetables and very little meat.

I really enjoyed this hub, you did a really great job. Rated it up. Good luck!

Sage

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Thank you, Debby, for the visit and the kind comment. Nice to meet you.

I love that music, too; makes me smile, tap my feet, shake my head in rhythm, and snap my fingers - all of which causes extreme discomfort when attempting to type a response. But does use up a few calories.

Debby Bruck 7 years ago

Excellent presentation and I very much enjoyed the "Chewy" musical background song while reading the hub. Puts a smile on your face.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Oh, shoot, Haunty. You recognized them? Now it's going to cost me. Perhaps we can negotiate. Tell them how much I admire their "won't" power.

Haunty 7 years agofrom Hungary

I agree that humor helps to forget about our woes. Where did you get my family photos, btw?

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Thank you, wordscribe41, for the sincere compliment which I will treasure.

To be down to earth, user-friendly and humorous at the same time is my goal. Nice to know, coming from you, that you appreciate my style.

Maybe you can lecture your pudgy kitty about the 80% rule.

wordscribe41 7 years ago

Obesogenic, I think I like it. Fine hub you have here, infused with great information and a tinge of humor (which I like). That poor little kitty cat. One of mine is aiming to be that obese, little miss piggy. Anyway, I love your writing style, it's very down to earth and user-friendly. That may sound odd, but I mean it as a sincere compliment. Cheers.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Hello, Scheng1 - Nice to meet you.

Thanks you for your visit and the info about China. I visited that extraordinary oountry only once some years ago and one of my most vivid recollections is visiting a small farmhouse in the countryside where the largest room was the combination living room / dining room / and home for several goats.

Yet everyone, including the goats, appeared to be happy, healthy and in very good shape.

No fast food restaurants in that village.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Hi, ruminator. Interesting name. I've always been fascinated by words that have more than one distinctive meaning. Like "musing upon" or "one who chews cud."

It was my pleasure to write this hub, thanks for your comments.

The Mediterranean diet and way of life may be gaining ground on previous diet plans. Good choice.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Nice to meet you, anginwu.

Thank you for the visit, the lovely comments and the congrats.

Weight loss semms to be a far more weighty subject than weight gain. Sorry - puns are one of my weaknesses.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

rebekahELLE - thank uou for the visit, the comment and the rating. Nice to meet you. I'll take a look at your hubs, too.

Glad you liked the wordplay in the title. It's one of my favorites. too. Nothing like humility, you know.

You're right on about drinking lots of water. I don't really like the stuff but like you, I drink it to allay the pangs of hunger.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Thank you, frogdropping, for your comment. A cracking hub, eh?

I hope that's crack as in cracker-jack and not crack as in crack pot.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Green Lotus - thanks for the congrats and the comment.

I'm with you on finding a way to end those continuous ads on TV exhorting us to fill up with empty full-of-fat calories.

I know personally that the South Beach diet works for many folks because Dr. Agatston's office is within 20 miles of my home and I have neighbors who swear allegiance to him and his diet plan.

Do I think a law would work? No! Because you can't legislate against people making foolish choices.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Happy that you lol, Haunty, and thank you for the comment.

I have always found that reading something with a little humor makes it easier to remember - and more interesting to read. Do you agree?

scheng1 7 years ago

The cities in China are going the same way. Most of them adopt the fast food diet and no exercise at all. Only those in the countryside are too poor to eat fast food, and too much farming to get fat.

ruminator 7 years agofrom Big Skies, NM

A loaf of bread, a chunk of cheese, a bottle of wine and thine; now that's a Mediterranean diet! I drink my sugar in the form of wine, mainly with meals, to help digest my food. I lived in Italy as a young woman and developed my eating habits then, lucky me, as it's truly a Med. diet. Thanks for all this great info.

anglnwu 7 years ago

Very well-researched and nicely done. Congrats on your win.

rebekahELLE 7 years agofrom Tampa Bay

I like the subtle play of words in your title. congrats on a hub well done and well researched. I enjoyed reading it and watching the videos. I don't 'diet' diet, I just try my best to eat mediterranean style and get daily exercise. Drinking water also helps. well done! rated up.

Andria 7 years ago

Absolutely well done drbj! So deserved - just saw that you'd won in the healthy hubs thread. It's a cracking hub and well worth the accolade, congratulations!

Hillary 7 years agofrom Atlanta, GA

Hey drbj- Congrats on winning the daily contest! I liked your hub, but I have to say that the South Beach Diet worked for both my husband and myself. Five years later, we're still looking good. It really is a low carb diet that works, at least in my humble opinion. Somehow sticking with it also reduces your cravings for fatty and sweet foods. Frankly, I think there needs to be a law against fatty, hi carb food advertising, just like there was against cigarettes! Think that would work?!

Haunty 7 years agofrom Hungary

Obesity is Widespread. lol Congratulations on your win. :)

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

With the exception of the rice and pasta, frogdropping, your diet sounds much like the Mediterranean diet - healthful and not too high in calories. Way to go.

I confess I'm not as disciplined. I'm often on the seafood diet. I eat whenever I see food.

But I do exercise daily - walking back and forth to the fridge. My real problem is I believe a balanced diet is chocolate in each hand.

Thanks for the accolade - happy that my thoughts for food may be food for thought.

Andria 7 years ago

"What passes your lips sits on your hips" - period. That's the best way to avoid overtsuffing yourself until you look like an oversized bag of skin.

What's horrible though is the fact that most diets involve eating things you don't like. That lack taste. I mean - I love vegetables and fruit but that's not all I want to eat.

My diet consists of of rice, pasta and potatoes. Red and white meat. Some vegetables. Olive oil, garlic and a few other spices and a little salt. Some salad on occasion. That's about it. Oh and a glass or two of white or green wine.

I don't pile my plate, I eat what I need. I always have breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't eat candy or snack foods.

Not a very tasty sounding diet but really, it is. And I'm not giving it up either.

Fantastic hub drbj, really well written and packed with information. Lots of choices - and food for thought. No pun intended.

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drbj and sherry 7 years agofrom south Florida

Thank you, Ivorwen, for the positive comment. You are one of my very favorite fans. Oops! I mean, followers.

I learned a lot about diet plans while researching this hub and you are absolutely right - managing weight is the bottom line - especially if one wants to manage the size of one's bottom.

Ivorwen 7 years agofrom Hither and Yonder

What a well researched article! I really like your conclusion. It is the bottom line in weight management. Unfortunately, reading about all this food has made me hungry.